Aerial multiple explosive bomb.



H. L. COURTESY. AERIAL MULTIPLE EXPLOSIVE BOMB.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. I6, I9I6- PatentedSept. 25, 1917.

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.. MULTIPLE EXPLOSIVE BOMB.

Specificationof Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 25, teat.

Application filed October 16, 1916. Serial No. 125,887.

To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that 1, Hanna? L. CoUR'rnsY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Spokane, in the county of Spokane and State of Washington,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Aerial Multiple Explosive Bombs, of which the following is a specification. My invention relates to improvements aerial gmultiple explosive bombs, and the principal object of my invention resides in the production and provision of a bomb of this type of comparatively ,simple and inexpensive construction and novel design, which possesses a wide range and intensity of destructive power, certainty of action,

' and-which may be gaged or timed to exfirst scatter over a altltude. by an initial or main explosion,

plode its several charges at the instants calculated to produce the most effective rets in actual practical use.

My invention contemplates and embodies a bomb designed to produce a plurality of successive explosions, the object being to wide area at an efiective numerous secondary bombs which enter into the'construction of the bomb as a whole; to form each seconda bomb in its entirety of a plurality of tertlary or minor bombs which are intended to be subsequently exploded, each of said explosions serving to scatter or project the respective projectile elements of the several bombs, and each successive explosion and series of explosions adapted to be gaged or timed to take place at a predetermined moment.

Generally speaking, my invention comprises a primary bomb com osed of a metallic tube preferably of cylindrical form, tiers of Secondarycubical multiple explosive bombs, each consisting of an ex losive chamber and tertiary or minor-bom s, all disposed within the tube and arranged about its innerci'rcumference; a central longitudinal powder chamber within the tube and surrounded by the secondary bombs, a percussion means and firin in disposed at the firing end of the tube for igniting the powder orexplosive in the central chamber; an internal self-contained: explosive charge for each secondary bomb, means initiated by the primary explosion to effect ignition of said internal charge, the explosion whereof is designed to detochamber 9 and serving to retain the pin are For hate the exploding devices for the tertiary bombs; and projectile elements and bomb positioning and retaining means for the sec ondary bomb structure.

In addition to the foregoing I also provide advantageous means for proper handling of the device and to insure its guidance in flight through the air, and certainty of impact of the firing pin.

The particular construction of my device will behereinafter more fully pointed out, described and claimed,-recourse being had to the accompanying drawings which form a part of my application for patent, and in which- Figure 1 is a sectional side elevation of the complete bomb.

I Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view through the center of the device to show the interior arrangement of the series of bombs.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail plan view of one of the secondary bombs.

Fig. 4 is a greatly enlarged detail view of the detonating and igniting means for the secondary bombs.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail perspective view of the cubical projectile elements which compose the tertiary or smallest bombs.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the wed eshaped positioning and. retaining means for the secondary bomb structures which also serve as projectiles.

Fig. 7 shows one of the. projectile elements which are disposed between the secondary bombs and the inner face of the tube.

Referring more particularly to the drawings in which likereference characters are used to indicate like parts in the several views thereof, the numeral 1 designates the secured in place by means of the inturned' angular flange portion 3 of the tube.

This closure and balance member 2 is provided with a central aperture 4 within which are mounted the primary. detonating elements of the bomb, said elements including the detonating cap 5, firing pin 16, and threaded retaining plug 7. The firing pin is provided with a collar 8 movable in the In the purposeof preventing acciexplosive containing chamber 13 which, as

clearly shown, is in direct communication with the detonating elements just described.

These secondary bombs 11 are arranged as shown, six to a tier, and are composed of suitable thin metal casings which inclose the tertiary or smallest bombs 14. As will be clear by reference to Fig. 3, each of these bombs 11 is provided with a separate detonating device 15 which extends or projects slightly within the main explosive chamber 13, and communicating and in operative relation with said detonating device is a fuse 16 whichleads to the explosive chamber 17 of the secondary bombs 11.

Still referring to Fig. 3, it will be noted that the tertiary bombs 14, there being twenty-six to each secondary bomb, are each in turn provided with a central explosive chamber 18, and have also the communicationg fuses 19 which are adapted to be ignited Y within the chamber 16 of the secondary bombs.

This succession of combined detonating elements or devices and fuses serves to provide a very effective method of ignition of the several explosive charges, and ,is especially designed to insure the explosion of each bomb. It is evident that the moments of explosion may be readily gaged or timed by providing slow or fast burning fuses.

Now, referring to Fig. 5, it will be noted that the tertiary bombs 14 are each composed of the eight cubical projectile elements 21, each element or section having the segmental cut-out portion 22 designed to provide an explosive chamber 23, so that when their fuses 19 are ignited by the explosion in the explosive chambers of the secondary bombs, these tertiary bombs will be subsequently exploded at a predetermined instant gaged by means of the fuses 19.

These tertiary bomb elementsare desi ed to be properly incased within a meta in-- closure or box in order that disintegration thereof will be prevented during the explosion in the chamber of the secondary bomb, and until the subsequent explosion of their self-contained explosive charges.

In Fig. 2 I have shown the manner or method of retaining and securing the secondary bomb structures and casings in place about the interior wall of the tube 1, and, as will be seen, I accomplishthis by means of the companion wedge-shaped metallic projectile elements 24 arranged as shown in the detonating caps 20 which extend- Fig. 6, one above the other. To further in sure the stability of the secondary bomb casings within the tube I also provide the metallic projectile elements 26, each composed of four segments 26, the whole being designed to fit firmly between the outer flat faces of the secondary bombs and the- .inner curved wall of the tube. It is of course apparent that a decided advantage is obtained by making these retaining elements in multiple parts as this method provides a maximum number of projectiles for the initial or primary explosion.

During the manufacture of the device, it may be found expedient to bind the numerous elements firmly together with a suitable binding medium possessing the requisite adhesive and damp excluding qualities.

For convenience in handling the bomb when using the same in connection with aeroplanes, dirigibles, and the like, I have provided the grlpping rod 27 while I also mount the aluminum guiding vanes 28 upon the upper end of the tube, which vanes tend to keep the firing end of the bomb advanced during flight of the projectile, although said vanes are intended to serve merely in an auxiliary capacity to the heavy balance member 2 at the firing end which is normally adequate for the purpose.

From the foregoing description, it is believed that the construction, utility, and advantages of my multiple explosive bomb will be clearly understood, and that it will be apparentthat I have provided a distinctly novel and superior device well adapted to fulfil the purposes for which it is designed.

Having described my invention, I claim 1. A multiple explosive bomb consisting of a tubular metallic casing, a weighted closure for the firing end, a primary detonating means mounted "in said closure, a plurality of tiers of incased cubical secondary explosive bombs composed of tertiary or smaller tained explosive charges for the secondary bombs, fuses for igniting said charges and means for igniting said fuses by the explosion within the main explosive chamber, and a plurality of combinedbomb retaining and projectile elements disposed within the casing between the adjacent faces of the secondary bombs.

2. A multiple explosive bomb consisting of a casing, a main explosive chamber contained therein, secondary bombs disposed about said chamber, fuses adapted to ignite said secondary bombs through the eifect of the explosion insaid main explosive chamber, self-contained explosive charges for the secondary bombs, tertiary or smaller bombs composing the secondary bomb structure, means for exploding said tertiary bombs through the efl'ect of the explosion of the secondarvbombs. a plurality of combined bomb retaining and projectile elements disposed Within the casing between the adjacent faces of the secondary bombs, and means for exploding by impact the explosive charge within the main explosive chamber of the casing.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

ENRY L. COURTESY. Witnesses:

WM. SCAMAHORN, E. Bnoxms. 

